Cedar Point, A History- Part 4

After it's first year as a success, Frontiertown debuted it's second existing roller coaster, the Cedar Creek Mine Ride. While smaller than the Blue Streak, and standing only 48 feet tall, the Cedar Creek Mine Ride is a bit more smooth, and has many moments where it almost appears the miner style cars will tumble from the tracks. This ride over looks a portion of the lagoons.

In 1970, Cedar Point celebrated it's 100th year anniversary as a park. Through those 100 years, many changes came, making Cedar Point the park it is even today. To help celebrate, Cedar Point unveiled a new midway, called the Million Dollar Midway. In terms of today's park, the Million Dollar Midway jutted off to the left from the end of the main midway, where today's Millenium Force, Mantis, Wild Cat, and Iron Dragon all sit. The current day Kiddy Kingdom was added that year for children, and several rides were placed on the Million Dollar Midway.

In 1971, Frontiertown enjoyed a new addition- Frontier Trail, also still in existence today. This trail has changed very little over the past 36 years. It still has many of the same authentic log cabins from then, all holding shops of different sorts. Some are standard souvenir fair, but many are hand crafted items- hand dipped candles, leather products, glass works, and much more.

The Giant Wheel was added a year later to the Million Dollar Midway, though today, the Giant Wheel is located on the beach side of the peninsula, removed to help make room for the Millenium Force in the year 2000.

Throughout the rest of the 1970's, the changes to Cedar Point included the Corkscrew roller coaster, the Jumbo Jet coaster, the Gemini coaster, as well as it's kiddie counter part the Junior Gemini, the Wild Cat coaster, the Witches Wheel, the IMAX theater, as well as the Gemini Midway, which jutted to the right of the main midway's original end. This laid way to the modern day park landscape and midways. When built, the Gemini, standing at 125 feet tall, was the tallest coaster in the world. It seems so small now by comparison to the newer steel monsters we ride today.

By the start of the 1980's, much of the park then still exists today, either in rides, architecture, or landscape. The $3,000,000 Oceana was added for the 1980 season, sitting back up against the beach. This stadium seated 1,600 people and held a live water show with dolphins and sea lions. Near the Oceana was the 1981 addition of the Ocean Motion.

If you'll recall, the view looking back from this ride includes a rare glimpse at the Grand Pavilion, the oldest building in the park. During the 80's, many of the older rides that were no longer popular were removed from the park.

In their place, the park brought in the Demon Drop, Avalanche Run (later enclosed and renamed Disaster Transport), Berenstein Bear Country, Schwabinchen, Thunder Canyon, and the Iron Dragon. The addition of the Iron Dragon lead to the Frontier Lift being removed, though by now, the Frontier Trail and train both lead people to Frontier Town.

The Western Cruise entrance was removed from the lagoon at the end of the Main Midway, as the Iron Dragon now twisted and turned through out that portion of the Lagoon. The Western Cruise was moved down further along the Gemini Midway. The portion where it was first moved is where Top Thrill Dragster now sits, renaming a portion of the Gemini Midway to Top Thrill Midway. The Cruise was also renamed Paddlewheel Excursions shortly after the move.

Perhaps what pushed Cedar Point to become one of the leaders in the Roller Coaster industry, however, was the arrival of the 1989 season, and the newly constructed Magnum XL-200. While still impressive today, back then, this coaster was the first to break the 200 foot height barrier. It was also the fastest speed, reaching speeds of over 70 miles per hour. Breaking records would become a game for the great minds at Cedar Point.

In 1991, another was broken- the tallest and fastest wooden coaster was built in Frontiertown, The Mean Streak. She certainly has a mean streak in her, too! This coaster will rattle the teeth right out of your head, or at least feel like it!

By 1994, Raptor was added to the growing list of coasters that Cedar Point boasted already. It may not be the tallest, or even the fastest, but it is a fun coaster, spinning people upside down to "kick the sky".

Next came the Mantis in 1996. This became the tallest, fastest stand up coaster in the world on it's debut. Almost called Banshee, the coaster was renamed Mantis. After the Mantis came Power Tower in 1998. While not a coaster, this massive tower stands 300 feet tall, though the ride towers are only 240 feet tall. Further down by the kiddie area on the Gemini Midway, a child version called the Frog Hopper debuted.

For the 2000 season, the largest coaster to date for Cedar Point was added- The Millenium Force. 11 years prior brought the record breaking 200 foot tall Magnum. Millenium Force would shatter that record by 110 feet. Reaching top speeds of 92 miles per hour, this ride is an out and back coaster, lasting almost 2 and a half minutes. The first drop is 80 degrees down, dropping riders 300 feet.

Sticking close to the "New coaster every 2 years" unspoken rule, Cedar Point brought out Wicked Twister in 2002, which is unique in it's U shape. It runs only one train, shooting riders forward and up a twisting spike, only to fall back down, rush through the loading station, and up a 2nd twisting spike- backwards. Riders repeat this 3 times before stopping at the train station.

In 2004, another record breaker. Standing 420 feet tall, the Top Thrill Dragster was added to the Gemini Midway, near the Corkscrew and Power Tower. This portion of the midway was then renamed Top Thrill Midway.

This coaster is unusual, to say the least. The coaster shoots trains from the station at 120 miles an hour. The trains then go straight along a short part, then shoot up at 90 degrees on a 420 foot tall hill. They arch across the top, and then descend at a 400 foot vertical drop, with a 270 degree twist.

In 2005, the maXair was added, a large pendulum that swings guests around at speeds of 70 miles per hour. In 2006, the coaster was skipped, but the giant "swing" ride, Sky Hawk, was added to the Frontiertown area, swinging riders back and forth 125 feet in the air, allowing riders to feel the weightlessness of a Roller Coaster, without the track to inhibit the feel.

Now, for the 2007 season, which opens in 105 days, Cedar Point will debut it's 17th roller coaster. After the new heights found in the coasters of recent years, one might expect something so tall and fast it would be a blur to view from the ground. However, with the newest coaster, Maverick, Cedar Point is keeping it low to the ground.

This will feature a masive 4,450 foot long track, but the lift hill is a mere 105 feet tall. The first drop is only a 100 foot drop. So, where's the catch? Well, that drop goes past dropping you straight down. Rather, it curves back inward, creating a 95 degree angle.

The speed will be roughly 57 miles per hour, though top speeds are expected to reach 70 miles per hour. The ride should last 2 minutes, 30 seconds, and is located in Frontiertown.

With so many additions, and so much hype over the past decade, it's hard to remember what Cedar Point must have been like 100 years ago. Many of the treasures of the past have been forgotten over the years, but if you take a few minutes, you can still see some of them. The Grand Pavilion, for instance. The wonderful Breakers Hotel, The White House or Cedars Hotel, even lights once used to light the park are now used at the Cedar Point Marina and in the Coral Dining Room. The Coliseum as it stands today is a noisy, cement floored arcade. But above your heads is a beautiful art deco ballroom.

Perhaps one day, some of these treasures can be restored and shared with the guests of this era. For now, the era's past are lost in pictures and memories. The park that I visit today isn’t the same as the park of yesterday, obviously. My own personal memories were not included in this, and for as many times as I’ve been to Cedar Point, no two experiences were the same.

The first memory I hold of Cedar Point is going with a large group of family members, family friends, and a baby sitter. I remember walking around the park in the dark with my baby sitter, and begging for a juice that came in the cup shaped like fruit. I got grape.

I remember riding my first coaster, the Corkscrew, and screaming my head off at 10 or 11. I also remember saying it was my favorite- not until after we’d left the park, of course. There was the 4^th of July spent there with my mother, step dad, and 3 step siblings. I was probably 13, and my tiny little 8 year old step sister dragged me onto more coasters, which are two of my favorite even today.

One year, I went with my husband for the second time, and we managed it without kids. We also managed to stay for 4 days that time, the longest I’ve ever been to Cedar Point. I recall walking past a restaurant and pointing out that someone was pounding on the window. Amazingly enough, it was one of Nick’s co-workers.

Later that same day, we ran into my old high school teacher. Turns out, my school’s annual trip was that day. Now, we don’t live close to Cedar Point. It’s a 5 hour drive to get there, so running into people we knew, let alone two groups of people we knew, was amazing.

Cedar Point might not be a typical family destination, but growing up, it was a tradition to try and go every year. It’s a tradition I loved, and while I might not be getting a history lesson standing in lines for coasters, it’s hard for me not to just feel the history of the entire park when I stand there.

Cedar Point will always hold great memories for me, and while I do miss some of the things that have long since been lost at Cedar Point, or even the things I never got a chance to see, I love what Cedar Point has become, too.

The End! 

The above websites were extremely helpful in writing this, and provide further historical data, including pictures. For Part 1, 2, & 3, please look at cedarpoint.gather.com

Thank you for reading my 4 part history article. I really appreciate all your comments and thoughts!